Article supporting device for slicing machines



P. .1. LUCEY 1,844,667

ARTICLE SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR SLICING MACHINES Feb. 9; 1932.

Filed April 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mmvrozz. Rubric/r Luciy BY 5mm 9, 932. P. J. LUCEY 1,344,657

ARTICLE SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR SLICING MACHINES Filed April 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 If INVENTOR. 3 FZlfirick c/. Luc ay Patented Feb. 9, 1932 1,844,667

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PATRICK J. LUCEY, 013' DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO DAYTON SCALE COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY ARTICLE SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR SLICING MACHINES Application filed April 29, 1929. Serial No. 358,918.

This invention relates to slicing machines, 3 and covered substantially entirely, except and it has to do especially with supporting for the exposed cutting edge, and which may and feeding mechanism for the article which be driven by a suitable motor 4. A gauge is being sliced. plate 5 is in general alignment with the disc 5 The invention is concerned particularly knife and this is adjustable by suitable means 55 with slicing machines of the type which em- (not shown) from right to left for determin bodies a gauge plate, a rotating disc knife, ing slice thickness. Suitable rail devices 6 and an article supporting carriage which is are mounted on the support and a carriage 7 reciprocable generally in the plane of the is reciprocably mounted upon the rails, and

10 gauge plate and disc knife, to move the article such reciprocation may be effected in any de- 0 past the cutting edge of the knife, and in sirable way, as by means of handle 8. which the article being sliced is held with This carriage comprises a tray 9, advansome pressure up against the gauge plate tageously ofV shape, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and a guard for the knife. In this type of and the article to be sliced is placed in the machine, the article support ordinarily contray. It is well understood that .as the car- 5 sists of a tray, and as the article is sliced, it riage is reciprocated, a slice is severed from slides on the tray step by step with its end the article each time the same moves across remote from the knife, gradually approachthe cutting edge of the knife from the gauge ing the same. This movement of the article plate to the knife. and following each severmay be accomplished either by pressure of the ing of a slice, the article is moved by a slid- 70 hand of the operator, by a spring, or by meing action on the tray so as to be in position chanical means. This sliding of the article for the next slice. There is shown herein, a on the tray offers no material difiiculty where follower mechanism for so moving the article relatively solid articles are sliced, such as as it is sliced, which corresponds to that cured meats, sausages, or bread; however, in shown in co-pending application Serial No. 75 the case of relatively soft foods such as, cer- 322,207, filed November 27, 1928. This tain kinds of fresh meat, the article cannot be mechanism may be described only generally readily slid along the tray without an undue herein. It comprises a follower plate 10 jourdistortion of the article which results in nonnaled in an arm 11, which is in turn j ournaled uniform slices. as at 12. The arm may be moved out of the 80 Accordingly, the present invention conway so that it can be used or not used, as templates a slicing machine of the character illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. mentioned, wherein a movable support is pro- The journal 12 is afforded by a fixture 13 vided for the articles, and preferably this which is slidable upon rods 14 and 15. These support is removably mounted so that it may rods extend in a direction at rightangles to 35 be used with soft easily distortable articles the rails 6 so that the follower can move up of food and not used where the food sliced to the disc knife and gauge plate, pushing the is relatively solid. food before it. It may be pushed by hand,

In the accompanying'drawings: also it may be pushed by a spring arrange- 40 Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic View ment which comprises a coil spring 20 which of an entire slicing machine, illustrating the encircles a rod 21, in turn carried by brackets same in plan and showing soft food support. 22. The spring is covered by a tube 24: and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking from the by a tube' 25, which telescopes over tube 24, right hand side of Fig. 1, showing the soft as shown. 45 food support in place and illustrating the One end of the tube 25 engages the end of same in dotted lines as removed. the spring 20 and upon this tube is carried Fig. 3 is a detail partly in section, in illusa controlling handle 26, supported as by tration of some of the detail construction. means of a suitable collar 27'. Projecting The slicing machine comprises a body or from this handle is a lug 28 (Fig. 2). The 50 support 1, a disc knife 2, disposed in a housing handle 26 is rockable, and it may be retracted V-shaped tray, and the same is provided with devices such as hooks 32, for fitting over the lugs 30. The foodsupport 31 may also be provided with a multiplicity of pins 33 for impinging into the article to be sliced. and

the same is also preferably provided with nubs, or projections 35 for resting upon the food-supporting tray and to slide thereon.

When an article of soft. or distortable foodstuffs is sliced. the auxiliary support 31 may be quickly placed into position by merely hooking the same on the lugs 30. whereupon the article to be sliced may be merely' placed on this auxiliary support. Inasmuch as the support is carried by the advancing bracket 31, the soft foodstuffs is carried forward by the auxiliary support. and the pressure for this purpose may be obtained either by hand or by utilizing the spring 20.

When the auxiliary supporting tray is used. it is, of course, not necessary to employ .the follower plate. inasmuch as the article to be sliced is carried on the movable auxiliary support. in which event. the follower plate 10 may be moved out of the way approximating the position illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

I claim:

1. In a slicing machine, the combination of a rotating disc knife, a gauge plate. a carriage mounted for reciprocation across the face of the knife and plate, an article-supporting trav on the carriage for supporting an article to be sliced, means mounted on the carriage movable toward and away from the knife. and an auxiliarv article support removablv secured to said means and arranged to overlie the tray.

2. In a slicing machine, the combination of a rotating disc knife. a gauge plate, a carriage mounted for reciprocation across the face of the knife and plate, an article-supporting tray on the carriage for supporting an article to be sliced. means mounted on the carriage movable toward and away from the knife, an auxiliary article support removably secured to said means and arranged to overlie the tray, and means on said auxiliary support for slidably engaging the tray.

3. In a slicing machine, the combination of a rotating disc knife, a gauge plate, a carriage mounted for reciprocation across the face of the-knife and plate, a V-shaped article-supporting tray on the carriage for sup porting an article to be sliced, means mounted on the carriage movable toward and away from the knife, and a V-shaped auxiliary article support removably secured to said means and arranged to overlie the tray, and means on said auxiliary support for slidably engag- 5. In a slicing machine, the combination of g a disc knife, a gauge plate, areciprocable carriage movable across the face of the plate and knife, an article-supporting tray thereon, means on the carriage movable toward and away from the knife, including a follower for urging an article slidably along the tray, means movably mounting the follower, whereby the same may be moved away from the tray, an auxiliary article support removably attached to the first mentioned means, and a spring-pressed advancing element capable of urging the first mentioned means towards the gauge plate and knife.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

PATRICK J. LUCEY. 

